Diet Rehab

A long overdue visit to a well-known physician at the University of Washington for a neglected injury introduced me to a new form of therapy. The physician said, “Please go see Barbara, she is an excellent physical therapist who specializes in Feldenkrais.” Feldenwhat, I thought. I didn’t know any details of the therapy, but knowing the physician’s reputation, I simply trusted that she had good reason for sending me.

My visit to Barbara wasn’t at all what I expected. I thought I’d be leaving her office with a new list of stretch and strengthening exercises. It ended up quite the opposite. No stretches or strength, only a business card. More importantly, what I obtained was insight into Feldenkrais therapy.

One aspect of the therapy is “Awareness Through Movement.” The concept is to tune into my body during every part of day (including running) and define how to move with the greatest range and ease of motion. Essentially, I’m to re-educate myself on how to move most efficiently through personal awareness. My first thought was that this oversimplifies things. Barbara provided an example of this practice—if I lifted my arm, it would only go so far. However, if I lifted my arm and arched my back, the arm could be raised higher.

As the appointment progressed with gentle touch and manipulation, Barbara helped me identify how to gain awareness of how I plant my feet when walking; the differences between each side of my body when lying down; and how terribly heavy the right side of my body is in all aspects of my life. It was all very interesting to me, but I left her office feeling like I wasn’t leaving with much. That is, until my run the next day.

On that run, I was able to discern how my feet and arches landed and rolled with each step. They did feel like they were planting differently! I recognized that my right leg was reaching much further than the left, almost straining to move forward. I started to pick apart differences in how the right side of my body felt compared to my much stronger left.

It’s just form work, right? Yes and no. Over time I let things like a jogging stroller, time limitations, fatigue, and occasionally even headphones interfere with listening to my body. Eventually I lost perspective on what efficient running (efficient for me, anyway) felt like. Not listening to my body slowly created subtle compensation, unwelcomed running technique and eventually hard-to-shake injury.

Similar to the arm-raise example, consider heading out the door for a half marathon with no breakfast or race fuel. Imagine those daunting last four miles as the legs turn heavy. Eat a carbohydrate-rich meal before the race and possibly more carbohydrate during the race, and suddenly those last four miles don’t seem as arduous.

That’s an obvious example. It’s no secret that entering a race with sufficient fuel supports better racing. What about daily eating and training? Do you find yourself distracted by time limitations, convenience, fatigue, or even a fellow runner’s routine when it comes to your ideal fueling?

Just as I needed to be more aware of proper range of motion, I encourage you to gain awareness of how your body responds to proper fueling. I use the term “proper” loosely; proper means the appropriate fuel for your personal demands. It’s nothing you can read about in a book or copy from a friend. Resources offer guidelines, but when it’s all said and done, we are all individuals. It’s not just about eating. It’s about re-identifying what it feels like to have the optimal fuel at the right time; it’s achieving personal awareness of food.

Food for Thought

Fuel the Fire: A fire needs wood before the flame has diminished to keep it burning strong. Don’t wait until your body is begging for food before feeding it. Look for subtle hunger cues like poor concentration, change in mood or energy level and pace struggles on runs. Can you feel a difference between skipping meals and practicing consistent meal patterns? Does a small snack before bed minimize the morning nausea that causes you to skip breakfast?

Timing Fuel: How much of a bolus comfortably sits in the stomach on a run and still produces good result? Do you feel sluggish, heavy or indigestion? Do you feel empty or a sense of early depletion? How do you feel with a small meal soon after the run? Does a morning run provide a response for more fuel the first half of the day, and vice versa?

What to Fuel: A meal of ice cream will feel different than a meal with a protein, starch and a vegetable. Are there foods and food combinations that satisfy your hunger, cravings and energy demands more than others? Do you feel satisfied, comfortable and with sustained energy?

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